


Flare

by Elizandre



Series: Tropevember! [9]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 30 Days of Writing, Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou Friendship, Alternate Universe - Wings, Bokudai, M/M, Owl Bokuto Koutarou, Rare Pairings, Tropes, Tropevember, Wingfic, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, bokuto is a cutie, daichi is hot, they would be beautiful muscly boyfriends, tropevember challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:20:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elizandre/pseuds/Elizandre
Summary: “You said ‘future wife’? We all thought you were gay... Bokuto-san.”“Oh! No, that would be dumb!” Bokuto says with a laugh, shaking his head. “I meant wife or husband, but it doesn’t really matter since I won’t really be choosing them!”For the second time that night, Akaashi is floored.“... Who would be choosing them, then?”“My wings of course!” He laughs, as if Akaashi is telling some great joke.(Written for Tropevember 2020, Day 8: Wingfic)
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Sawamura Daichi
Series: Tropevember! [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995202
Comments: 9
Kudos: 87





	Flare

**Author's Note:**

> I love wingfics so much! And bokuto. And daichi. My beautiful, muscly men...
> 
> Bokuto deserves all the love in the world and I have no doubts that if he had wings, he would keep them hidden until he met his ‘one’.
> 
> Xoxo

Wings. Everyone is born with them.

Scientists still don’t fully understand why humans suddenly started sprouting wings 500 or so years ago, but it is said that wings are the window to the soul.

Materialistic and money orientated? Magpie.

Proud and cocky? Peacock.

Energetic and sweet? Hummingbird.

Whoever you are, there’s a pair of wings for you.

Bokuto knows this. He grew up hearing all about wings, marvelling at his older and younger siblings’ wings, amazed by the fact that, despite being from the same bloodline, their wings are so different.

His eldest sister, Akame, has the beautiful, vibrant wings of a Scarlet Macaw, starting red, then changing to all the colours of the rainbow, matching her loud, creative personality perfectly.

His next eldest sister, Kaoru, is much quieter, her nose always buried in some manga or other. Her wings are small than his or Akame’s, higher and narrower in a beautiful shade of light grey. She also has much softer wings than Akame - though, Bokuto thinks his own are pretty soft - the underside full of fluffy, downy feathers. Bokuto thinks Dove wings suit her perfectly too.

His younger brother Aoki has the most wonderful wings Bokuto has ever seen. Long, rounded and bright green all over, Aoki has the wings of the sociable, hardy, Green Bee Eater.

Then there’s little Tora. Bokuto remembers being 12 years old when Tora was born, anxiously waiting for his parents to bring her home so that he could see if she had wings like him or any of his siblings. His parents named her Tora, meaning ‘tiger’, they explained, because she has the fiery, territorial spirit of the Robin. Despite her plain, brown wings, even at 5 years old she is an absolute spitfire, and Bokuto completely adores her. 

And finally there’s Bokuto, with the large, thick, luscious wings of a Horned Owl. Fearless and powerful, his mother told him once, when he asked her what his wings meant.

“Horned owl’s are predator, my dear. They will face any opponent with no sign of fear, despite them often being much bigger and scarier. They protect their nests with their life, nurturing their young ones with much love. They are very powerful creatures, Bokuto. You’re future family will be incredibly lucky to have you, the same way we are.”

He knows his wings are rare, people regularly staring at them on the street. They rise above his head at the back and fall down to his mid-calf, shiny and sleek and glossy. The majority of his outer feathers are long and golden brown, with deeper, chocolate brown ones streaking down through them. The closer to the tip of his wings they get, the lighter they are, pale gold feathers brushing his legs when he walks.

The inside of his wings though, they are soft and white and downy, ran through with stripes of that same pale gold, the top tips deepening into a stunning, pure gold, shining magnificently when the light hits them.

Not many people have been allowed to see Bokuto’s inner wings, the man, despite his excitable, extroverted nature, being very private and particular about who he lets see that most vulnerable part of his body. Only his siblings, parents, volleyball team and Kuroo have ever had the pleasure.

He doesn’t even use his wings to help play volleyball!

It’s in the rules that a person can’t use their wings to fly during games, or they will be disqualified, but to help block, or give their jump a little boost? Totally allowed... but Bokuto doesn’t even to that, much to the annoyance of his teammates.

“I’ve told you, Aghashiii! If I can’t play without my wings to help me out, then I shouldn’t be playing at all!” He exclaimed once to an exasperated Akaashi after they lost a practise match, where the winning point could have been prevented if Bokuto had used his wings.

“I understand that, Bokuto-san, but you’ve already proven that you’re a great spiker without your wings. You don’t need to continue like this when people already know.”

“Akaashi...” Bokuto sighed, the fake cheer from before leaving his body.

“Yes, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked in alarm - the boy had actually pronounced his name right for once.

“The inside of my wings... they are for my family - for the people I trust completely - and one day they will be for my future wife. I refuse to show them to strangers in a stadium. I’m sorry that fucks things up for the team, but I’m not doing it. If you need me to, I’ll step down and someone else can take my place,” he intoned solemnly.

And Akaashi? Akaashi was floored. 

Still to this day, he can remember the shock that coursed through his body at Bokuto’s declaration - for numerous reasons.

1) Bokuto considered him to be family.

2) His reason for not showing his wings wasn’t a power play like he had always pretended.

3) Bokuto swore - he NEVER swears. It’s always ‘poop’ or ‘freaking’ thanks to having two younger siblings.

4) He believed in this so strongly, he would willingly give up playing volleyball to keep them private.

And 5) “... Bokuto-san... you’re straight?”

Granted, there were many other parted of Bokuto’s statement that Akaashi could have focused on and addressed, but... STRAIGHT?!

“What?” Bokuto asks in return, tilting his head to the side, looking rather like his wing-animal would.

“You said ‘future wife’... we all thought you were gay?”

“Oh! No, that would be dumb!” He says with a laugh, shaking his head. “I meant wife or husband, but it doesn’t really matter since I won’t really be choosing them!”

For the second time that night, Akaashi is floored.

“... Who would be choosing them, then?”

“My wings of course!” He laughs, as if Akaashi is telling some great joke.

“I... don’t get it, Bokuto-san...”

“Whaddya mean, Aghaashi?”

“I mean, how would your wings pick who you’re going to marry?” Akaashi asks with infinite patience - this is not where he thought this conversation would be going.

“What are you on about? You know! The thing! THE WING THING!” He replies emphatically, but Akaashi only shakes his head in confusion. “You don’t know about the thing...?” He asks, voice small and heartbroken sounding.

“I don’t, Bokuto-san. I’m sorry.” And he genuinely is. Bokuto gets upset sometimes, sure, but he’s looking at Akaashi like he just kicked a puppy.

“I can’t believe your parents didn’t talk to you about the thing...” he whispers sadly, before straightening his shoulders and staring at Akaashi with the most intense look he’s ever seen - even when he’s honed in on the ball, he’s never looked like this. “When you meet the person that you’re meant to marry - the one that completes you, heart and soul - your wings will flare out without you meaning to, showing off your most vulnerable spot to them, so that they know you’re serious. It’s like... WING SOULMATES AGHAASHI!”

That sounds... awfully like birds presenting when they find a suitable mate... Akaashi has never heard of such a thing happening with humans before, though.

“Who told you this, Bokuto-san?”

“My mother! She said that’s what happened when she met dad - her wings knew he was the one, even though she didn’t - and look at them now! They don’t even argue - and all married couples argue!” He states adamantly.

Well, that throws a spanner in the works.

If Bokuto had heard about it from a cheesy rom-com movie or novel, Akaashi could have explained that it was fiction... but from his mother? Who has no reason to lie about something like this?

“Okay, Bokuto-san. I believe you.” He says, and when he gets home that night, he researches what Bokuto told him, only to get a whole load of hits with plenty of people explaining the exact same thing happening to them and their now-partners.

A couple of scientists have tried to pin it down, thinking it might be something to do with the types of birds they were, but there was no connections there. Others theorised that it really was like Bokuto has said - wing soulmates - and that the reason it only happens to some people is because there’s almost 8 billion people on the planet and most of them never move away from their home countries. There’s simply too many people for them to find eachother - hence the low number of cases and it not being a widely known phenomenon. 

Of course, as with any soulmate theories, they have no way of proving it, so people have started to take it as they wish to - though, more often (waaay more often) than not, the two who spread their wings for eachother end up together and stay that way for a blissfully happy, long time.

Bokuto was surprised when, the next day at school, Akaashi approached him to apologise, saying he believed him, but that it’s apparently a very rare occurrence and so he shouldn’t get his hopes up, but—

“They’re out there, Aghaashi! I can feel it!” He had protested loudly.

“Okay, Bokuto-san. I believe you.”

••• 1 year later •••

“AGHAASHIIII!” Bokuto shouted across the huge gym, bouncing up and down in excitement. “IT’S TIME!”

Smiling slightly, Akaashi shakes his head fondly. “The other teams haven’t even arrived yet, Bokuto-san.”

“I knowwww,” he whines, “but I’m so excited! I get to see Kuroo! And Kenma! Plus, we finally get to meet Karasuno! Kuroo hasn’t shut up about their captain since the practise match,” at this his mouth turns down into a frown. “I wonder what’s so special about him, anyways? I’m obviously the cooler captain...”

“Obviously the more jealous captain too,” Yukie quips as she walks past, Akaashi sending her a glare as Bokuto starts wailing once more.

“No I’m nooootttt! I’m TOTALLY not jealous that this Dai-whatever guy has taken my Kuroo away from me!”

The whole team turn as one to give him a blank stare, before Suzumeda walks over to pat him on the back. “Yeah, you are Bo... but it’ll be okay! You can show Kuroo who the better captain is by crushing Karasuno in your first match with them!”

Akaashi and the rest of the team watch Suzumeda in awe as she swiftly transforms Bokuto’s depressive episode into fighting spirit, the owl-winged boy’s golden eyes lighting up with determination as his wings give a small shudder of excitement.

“Hey, hey! Heck yeah! When those crows get here, we’ll show ‘em what a real team looks like!” He shouts, pumping his first in the air, before running off somewhere else - no doubt to start practising his spikes, Suzumeda trailing after him with a wink towards the team. 

“Amazing... she’s absolutely amazing...”

“Yes... that she is.” Akaashi agrees with an exasperated sigh. “Come on then, we had better follow, otherwise he’ll get sad again that no-one wants to train with him and kick Karasuno’s ass,” he says, walking leisurely in Suzumeda’s footsteps, the others quickly scrambling to catch up.

As they train, Bokuto falls into a focused kind of calm, eyes trained on the ball, slamming spike after spike after spike onto the opposite side of the court. At some point Shinzen joins them, but they decide to wait until all the teams are here to start proper matches.

After an hour or so, the sound of gravel crunching can be heard from outside the gym, Fukurodani and Shinzen looking at one another for a moment, before putting their balls down to go and investigate.

Heading round to the front of the gym, Bokuto gets excited when he sees the Nekoma bus already pulled up, not thinking much of the other coach following quickly behind, as he runs up to the students pouring out, finding his best friend in the mix.

Dragging him out of the crowd towards the other bus, Bokuto picks his friend up around the waist and twirls him in the air, releasing a battle cry as Kuroo lets out his customary hyena cackle.

Setting him down with his back facing the other bus, he clasps his best friend’s shoulders in excitement. “Hey, hey, hey!”

“Hey, hey, hey...” Kuroo drawls back, the smirk on his face betrayed by the quick hand he runs over Bokuto’s spiked hair fondly. “Missed you, pal,” he admits.

“Awww! I missed you too!” Bokuto shouts with joy, pulling him back in for another hug. It’s not often that his friend will be so open about his feelings, preferring to play the cool-headed jock, though Bokuto knows better.

Kuroo chuckles into the cuddle, hands tightening around his friend’s shoulders, before letting out a surprised sound, only to grumble out, “stop standing there with a smarmy look on your face, Sawamura. I do have friends, you know.”

Sawamura...?

Oh! The Karasuno captain!

How dare he judge Kuroo for getting a cuddle from his best friend!

Removing his arms from Kuroo’s waist, Bokuto feels a scowl coming to rest on his face as he turns around, ready to give this Sawamura a piece of his mind about the negative impacts of toxic masculinity - yeah, thats right! Bokuto knows about that stuff! - only to stop short when he actually catches sight of the man, scowl dropping from his face as his mouth hangs open in shock.

He’s... gorgeous.

Standing with his legs spread wide apart and his arms crossed over his chest, Bokuto’s eyes don’t know where to look. Those thick, muscled thighs... but those strong, tanned biceps... the wide shoulders and tapered waist! Unable to find a spot to focus on, Bokuto’s gaze is pulled up to the man’s face.

... That’s not a smarmy look at all!

His plump, full lips are pulled up slightly at the edges in what Bokuto would say is a fond smile, directed at Kuroo. His chiselled jaw and proud bone structure causing his face to look like it’s carved from marble... Bokuto wants to rub his thumb across that cheek to see if it is as soft and smooth as it looks. 

You know what else looks soft? His hair. So dark it looks almost black, but with the way the sunlight is hitting it just now, Bokuto can see the rich, chocolate strands glistening gently as they fall across his brow in short strands. Matching his hair, his eyes are a deep, captivating, dark brown, with what looks to be tiny flecks of green, and yet, despite their darkness, they are so warm and inviting as he laughs at Kuroo...

KUROO?!

Bokuto has less than a second to register the jealousy flooding through his body - though not aimed at Sawamura this time - before his wings are fanning out without his permission, inside feathers revealing themselves to the man as they cut off his view of Kuroo, eyes sliding towards him automatically, before going wide in what Bokuto can only assume is a good imitation of his own slack-jawed stare.

Less than 2 seconds later, Bokuto watches in joy as Sawamura’s wings spread out to match his own and - oh!

Crows indeed!

Sleek, streamline, black wings spread from his shoulder baldes, seeming impossibly wide, even compared to his own enormous wing-span. Much like his hair and eyes, as his wings catch in the sunlight, lighter brown patches are revealed, some feathers threaded with a bright gold to match his own. 

... They are stunning.

The two of them stare dumbly at one another for a couple of seconds, before Kuroo’s muffled, “what the fuck, Bo?!” Spurs him into action.

Dropping his wings to a half-mast, Bokuto strides across the gravel confidently to pull the other man into the same twirling hug he gave Kuroo just moments earlier, before pulling away slightly, leaving his hands resting lightly on the man’s firm waist, beaming brightly at the flustered captain.

“Hey, hey, hey, Sawamura-san! I’m Bokuto Koutarou, and I’ve heard so much about you!”

Face transforming into a dazzling smile to match his own, Sawamura smiles back at him.

“Hello, Koutarou... I’ve heard so much about you too - and please, call me Daichi.”

••• 5 years later •••

A woman with red hair is smiling brightly at Bokuto, waiting patiently as he wipes the sweat away from his face with a towel, before holding a microphone up to her mouth. 

“I’m here with Bokuto Koutarou, wing spiker for the Black Jackals! Bokuto-san! That was one hell of a game!” She says enthusiastically, holding the microphone out to him.

“Hey, hey, hey! It sure was! The Tigers played great tonight, but our team played better! Especially our little giant, Shou-chan!” He replies, just as enthusiastically.

“He did indeed,” she agrees, bringing the microphone back to herself. “Though I don’t think anyone will disagree when I say that you were the star player in tonight’s match. That last cross to win the final point? Spectacular! And all without using your wings...”

“Ahaha!” He laughs, voice booming through the stadium. “It was a pretty good shot, wasn’t it? And yep! No wings - I’ve never used them to play!”

“Yes, yes. Something about a special someone, is that right?”

“Uh-huh!” He grins, nodding happily.

“And this partner... is she here tonight?” The red-head pries, smirking slightly in the hope of being the first reporter to get more info about the mysterious woman. Any other interviews have ended with the Spiker saying that they aren’t there and changing the topic back to volleyball... tonight is different, though.

Yeah, actually! He is!” Bokuto replies, emphasising the gender with a wink to the camera, before turning away from the reporter to face a particular section of seating. “HEY BABE!” He shouts. “THAT LAST SHOT WAS FOR YOU!” Before flaring his massive wings out proudly. 

Gasps and murmurs fill the stadium quickly as cameras begin to click, snapping pictures of the humongous wings, before he can furl them back in.

Up in the stands Daichi can only shake his head in fondness as Kuroo’s hyena laughter fills the silence around them.

He’s so glad his wings flared for this idiot.


End file.
